Speaking after the meeting, Minister O'Dowd said: "NI Water provides essential water and sewerage services to approximately 840,000 households and businesses across the north.
"It was a pleasure to meet with NI Water management and staff and to hear about their business and plans for the future.
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"NI Water like many public services is currently experiencing many challenges as it deals with the cost of living crisis and the rise in energy costs. Those very real concerns were raised with me today. It is essential that the appropriate level of funding is provided to NI Water to ensure that it continues to provide a valuable public service not just for households but also for hospitals, schools and businesses. The absence of a functioning Executive and budget constraints in place for this year, makes those challenges all the greater."
